Tower Hamlets Civic Awards 2013 Pic: Tower Hamlets Council

Tower Hamlets residents can now nominate their local heroes for an award, which will recognise positive contributions made to the community.

The Tower Hamlets Civic Awards is an annual opportunity for residents to honour and celebrate those who have done good deeds in the borough, which often go unreported.

Those eligible for the awards include the borough’s under-25 “extraordinary young achievers”, as well as people who have developed sporting, cultural and artistic initiatives.

Councillor Lesley Pavitt, Speaker of Tower Hamlets Council, said: “I would urge residents to take a moment to think about the members of their community who make the borough the caring, positive place that it is for everyone.”

Pavitt added: “A nomination for this prestigious award is a fantastic ‘thank you’ for their hard work and ongoing contributions to Tower Hamlets.”

Previous winners include Rita Bensley, who got the 2013 Outstanding Service to the Community Award for her work as chair of the Association of Island Communities, as board member of the East End Community Foundation and for running the Stafford Street Friendship club.

Another former winner is Golam Mostafa, one of the founders and current chair of Udichi Shilpi Gosthi, a charity dedicated to promoting South Asian culture.

The awards also recognised Mostafa’s contribution to sporting, artistic and cultural activities as outstanding.

Shoeb U Kabir won the 2013 Young Achievers Award for starting Bangla News, the first online Bengali community newspaper.

Nominations for the 2014 awards close on December 31. The awards ceremony is expected to take place in March next year.